Living longer - remaining independent · Living longer - remaining independent April 2019 The artwork on the front of this factsheet was done by an older artist for EAC's over 60s

About this factsheet and who it is for

This factsheet aims to help anyone

reaching later life begin to think aboutwhat measures might be taken to anticipate or prevent problems in later life.

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Advice for older people

Living longer - remaining independent

April 2019

The artwork on the front of this factsheet was done by an older artist for EAC's over 60s Art Awards.

FACTSHEET 24

FirstStop Advice www.housingcare.org hoop.eac.org.uk

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Contents

Section 1 Remaining independent Page 2

i) Preventing falls Page 2

ii) Knowing when to accept help Page 3

Section 2 Staying put or moving on? Page 4

Section 3 The main tasks that older people have difficulty with Page 4

i) Household tasks and gardening Page 5

ii) Getting out and about Page 6

iii) Shopping Page 7

iv) Managing bills and personal affairs Page 7

v) Keeping active Page 8

vi) Maintaining social networks Page 9

vii) Meal preparation Page 10

viii) Managing personal care Page 10

ix) Telecare Page 12

x) Carer responsibilities Page 13

Section 4 Conclusion Page 13

Section 5 About FirstStop Advice Page 14


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Remaining Independent

Independence may mean different things

to different people but most people

throughout their lives place a very high

value on the idea of independence. They

want to be able to make their own

decisions, to support themselves

financially, to take care of their own

physical and emotional needs. This is no

different in later life.

The aim of this leaflet is to help anyone

approaching advancing years to think

about what measures might be taken to

anticipate or prevent problems in later

life with the ultimate aim of enabling you

to remain in control of your life and stay

as independent as possible, for as long as

possible. Many of the suggestions here

are quite simple and require very small

changes but they are often things that we

tend to put off and sometimes leave until

it is too late.

The good news is that life expectancy in

the UK continues to rise. A man aged 65

years in 2014 can expect on average to

live for a further 18.4 years and a woman

another 20.9 years. (Source: Office for

National Statistics, February 2016)

Many people live full and active lives well

into old age and manage to remain

relatively independent requiring little

assistance with their needs. Others are

not so fortunate and because of frailty,

gradual physical or mental decline or a

sudden health crisis, they may find that

they are faced with the need to evaluate

how they will live in the future.

Where to Start?

Preventing falls

The number of falls experienced by older

people is very high. One third to one half

of people over 65 years fall each year;

furthermore over 400,000 older people in

England attend accident and emergency

departments following an accident and

up to 14,000 people die annually in the

UK as a result of a hip fracture. (Source:

National Service Framework for Older

People) Falling is a major cause of

disability and greatly affects health and

ability to manage daily life.

The statistics illustrate how important it is

to address and reduce the risk of falls in

your home and there are lots of simple

measures that you can take.

Here are some considerations:-

Do you have adequate lighting in your home?

Are there any obvious tripping hazards like loose mats or uneven floor coverings? Even if these have been in


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place for years without problems, now is the time to remove them.

Are you careful about not leaving tripping hazards on the floor or stairs?

Do you have your eyes checked regularly?

Do you take risks with step ladders or stand on chairs to reach windows, light bulbs or cupboards?

Are your shoes/slippers safe and comfortable?

If you have suffered unexplained falls or lack of balance, have you considered speaking to your GP? There may be a medical explanation; you could even be taking a medication that increases the risk of you falling.

Is walking or balance becoming more difficult or do you have difficulty getting out of bed or out of a chair? You could seek advice from your local Home Improvement Agency or ask for an Occupational Therapy assessment. Rails and aids are often provided free of charge or you can arrange to buy your own.

Regular exercise and optimising your fitness levels is another way of helping to reduce the risk of falls.

Taking measures to prevent falls is an

easy way of exercising your independence

and by preventing a fall you are likely to

remain independent for longer.

Knowing when to accept some help –

the key to enhancing independence

As we get older it is common for people

to find that some of the simple everyday

tasks take longer to do, or are more

difficult, or may no longer be safe for us

to do ourselves. There are fortunate

people who remain positive, healthy and

active throughout their life. They may

have the benefit of good health but if you

look closer you may find that there are

other clues to their apparent good

fortune. They may live in a property that

suits their needs well; they may have a

good network of friends who provide

support and help; they may have help

with the things that they find difficult or

the things they no longer enjoy doing; this

enables them to continue their interests

and hobbies and the things that they are

able to do for themselves.

Accepting that ageing is just another

stage in your life story, and one that

requires all the same problem solving

skills that you have employed throughout

your life, will help you to remain

empowered to make the right decisions

for you. It is never too early to think

about what problems could occur in the

future and start to think about and

research alternatives as to how you will

manage. It is much harder to make


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important decisions and feel in control of

the situation when a crisis occurs.

Staying put or moving on?

One of the hardest considerations may be

whether or not to downsize or possibly

move to a sheltered or retirement

development. There are lots of pros and

cons to think about and every person’s

situation is different.

FirstStop provides a variety of useful

factsheets on this subject with

explanations of the various types of

specialist housing for older people and

what services they may or may not offer.

Our HousingCare website has a full

directory of retirement housing options

throughout the country together with

contact details etc. All of the above

information is available at

www.housingcare.org.uk.

People who have lived in their home for

many years are often reluctant to move.

They feel attached to their house, garden

and surroundings. They may be

concerned to pass on their property to

their loved ones, they may be unable to

contemplate the upheaval of moving,

organising a move to a new property and

the disposal of possessions that have

accumulated over the years. This is

understandable and “staying put” may

well be right for many people. Even so,

our advice is to keep an open mind

because if your house, for whatever

reason, has become a burden to you, you

might discover that finding the right move

could greatly improve your quality of life.

FirstStop provides a very useful “Housing

Options Tool” to help you to look at all

the aspects of your current

accommodation and assess whether it

continues to serve your needs. There is

help and advice available to enable you to

“stay put” and there are services in some

areas to assist with the practicalities of

moving. Visit hoop.eac.org.uk for more

information.

The main tasks older people have difficulty with

Household tasks and gardening

Getting out and about

Shopping

Managing bills and personal affairs

Keeping active

Maintaining contact with friends, family and social networks

Meal preparation

Managing personal care

Carer responsibilities

http://www.housingcare.org.uk/


5

Household tasks and gardening

There is no harm in being a bit less

particular about the housework and a few

weeds growing in your flower beds will be

of little consequence. Except if you are

the kind of person who has taken great

pride in your house or garden you may

find it a bit disheartening to watch, each

day, the build up of jobs that you are no

longer able to tackle. Having help with

cleaning or gardening may seem an

expensive luxury but if you have a small

amount of help, perhaps once a fortnight,

to keep on top of the jobs you can no

longer do, you will feel much more in

control of things and will be able to get

on with the jobs that you can do.

How to find help

Depending on where you live you may

already know of reliable, trustworthy

local people who can help. Alternatively

you may wish to find out if there are any

voluntary agencies that could provide you

with the service you need (Age UK or

Carers Organisations) or you could

contact a registered Domiciliary Care

Agency. There are over 7000 such

agencies around the country. They

provide all kinds of help in your home

from cleaning, shopping, laundry to

helping you with your personal care. A

registered Domiciliary Care Agency may

be a little more expensive but it does

have the advantage of being regulated

and continuously monitored for

compliance with essential standards and

quality. The staff should have DBS checks

(Disclosure & Barring Service). You

should also have back up from the agency

if your worker is ill or unable to attend.

You can view registered Domiciliary Care

Agency inspection reports on the

following websites or the agency should

be able to provide you with a copy:-

Care Quality Commission (CQC) in England www.cqc.org.uk (Tel: 03000 616161)

Care and Social Services Inspectorate in Wales www.wales.gov.uk/csiw (Tel: 0300 7900 126)

Care Inspectorate for Scotland www.careinspectorate.com (Tel: 0345 600 9527)

The Regulation Quality and Improvement Authority (RQIA) in N. Ireland www.rqia.org.uk (Tel: 028 9536 1111)

http://www.cqc.org.uk/

http://www.wales.gov.uk/csiw

http://www.careinspectorate.com/

http://www.rqia.org.uk/


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We suggest you work out what tasks you

would like help with and how often, and

then discuss this with a few agencies to

get a feel as to whether their service will

suit you. It is likely that if you want to

take it further they will arrange to come

and see you to work out a plan and the

costs. Consider which agency best suits

your needs and requirements.

Do they listen to what you are asking?

Do they seem friendly and caring?

Do they have a list of services you could draw on in the future if you should need them?

Can they come at a time that suits you?

Usually there is an hourly fee and, in

addition, mileage will be charged. Having

an existing arrangement with a care

provider can be a real bonus should you

or your partner become ill or

incapacitated as you will already have a

relationship with your worker and with

the agency and will have support to fall

back on.

Help with gardening may be more difficult

but you could advertise locally for

assistance or enquire about whether your

local Home Improvement Agency has a

gardening service. Depending on where

you live, and your garden space, you may

be able to have an arrangement with an

enthusiastic local gardener who could

grow vegetables in your garden in

exchange for a little help tidying up your

flower beds and cutting your lawn.

Getting out and about

Sometimes things become more difficult

for people when they have to give up

driving or their mobility declines.

Domiciliary Care Agencies can help you

with shopping but there are other things

you might try first that will enable you to

feel more independent.

If you can still drive but your mobility is

severely restricted, then consider

applying to your local council for a Blue

Parking Badge. This is a scheme to enable

people with mobility problems to have

better access to shops and facilities.

Badge holders can use designated parking

spaces and there is a relaxation on the

rules regarding parking restrictions. A

driver or passenger can apply for the

badge.

Consider using the Shopmobility services

available in most large shopping centres.

A range of equipment can be borrowed at

very reasonable rates.

Community Transport schemes operate in

many areas although some rural

communities may not be so well served.

There may be adapted community buses,


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volunteer cars/drivers or dial a ride

schemes to take you to shopping facilities

etc. To find out more about what your

area offers, get in touch with your local

volunteer bureau/ Council Adult help

desk or search the Home Services

Directory on www.housingcare.org

website. Community Transport may not

be immediately available if you need it at

short notice, so some forward planning

and booking in advance is often required.

Shopping

Many of the larger supermarkets now

offer internet shopping. In the comfort of

your home you can browse the’ virtual

shop’ and place your weekly shopping

order from your computer, if you have

one. You decide when you would like

delivery and your goods will arrive at your

home at the designated time. There is

usually a small charge. This is such a

useful service that if you are not already

using a computer it is a very good reason

to start learning. There are lots of

courses for older people to learn

computer skills and the over 50’s now

account for 31% of the UK net audience.

Ask at your local library about what is

available or see if the local Age UK has

any courses or tutors to help you.

Internet shopping, of course, is not

restricted to supermarkets. Most goods

including clothing, furniture, gifts and

electrical goods can now be bought

online, there is the added advantage of

being able to check and compare prices

before buying.

Managing bills and personal affairs

These are things that need to be

organised carefully. It is not unusual for

people to find bills and paperwork

overwhelming particularly when visual

problems, difficulty with concentration

and memory lapses arise.

A good place to start is to reduce the

burden of paperwork you receive by

arranging direct debits or standing orders

for your regular household bills. This can

benefit you further as many utilities offer

discounts on bills that are paid in this

way. Ask a family member or trusted

friend to help you. With their help make

an inventory or list of your important

documents and ensure that these are

stored in a safe place.

You can reduce the amount of paper

work you receive by subscribing to the

Mail Preference Service. This allows you

to stop unsolicited mail and marketing

materials by about 95%. You can register

for this service online at

www.mpsonline.org.uk or write to Mail

Preference Service, DMA House, 70

Margaret Street, London, W1W 8SS Tel:

http://www.housingcare.org/

http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/


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020 7291 3310. It is a free service.

Lasting Power of Attorney

Have you considered making an

arrangement for a Lasting Power of

Attorney? The LPA is a legal document

that grants someone you trust the right to

look after specific aspects of your

financial affairs and/or health and welfare

in the event of you losing the mental

capacity to make decisions for yourself.

Your solicitor will help draw up a LPA with

you, while you are able, and it can only be

registered once you are assessed as no

longer having mental capacity.

Often we shy away from talking to family

members about these matters but by

acting now you are exercising your right

to take control of how you want things to

be done and it is always helpful to family

members to have clear guidance as to

your wishes. You will be reassured that

someone that you have designated will

look after your interests.

Keeping active

Whatever your age or state of health,

regular exercise remains very important

for physical and emotional well being.

Inactivity leads to reduced strength and

endurance, reduced balance and

flexibility and in turn places you at

increased risk of falls. Activities such as

swimming, walking, golf, rambling, Tai

chi, Yoga, Pilates can all be enjoyed by

older people and as well as the physical

benefits, exercise is frequently

recommended for people who suffer

from low mood or depression.

If you are unable to take part in the more

strenuous activities get in touch with your

library or local council or Age UK to find

out what is available locally for older

people. In many areas there are classes

you can join for seated exercise and

stretching. Wherever possible keep

active at home, get help with the things

that you cannot do, but maintain your

independence with the things you are

able to do. If you are struggling to get out

of your chair or bed or you are worried

about your mobility, contact your local

council for an assessment by an

Occupational Therapist, or a Home

Improvement Agency. It is likely there

may be some small aids that you can

borrow or buy to enhance your mobility.

Home Improvement Agencies specialise

in carrying out any adaptations that you

could benefit from, such as an extra stair

rail or a rail by the bath.

Take advantage of the services

mentioned earlier, Shopmobility,

Community Transport, Blue Badge

Scheme to help you to remain active and

involved. Don’t forget about travel


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concessions on railways for older people

and bus passes from your local council.

Maintaining contact with friends,

family and social networks

This is very important. People who enjoy

contact with friends and the community

tend to have good support systems if they

are unwell or in difficulty; equally you can

also be of help to others who may be

needing support at a difficult time. If ill

health or disability prevents you from

keeping in touch with friends as you used

to, you may need to work hard to keep

contact going.

When we are at home all day it is easy to

think that we have nothing to offer, we

have no exciting events to talk about and

life may seem too mundane to relate to

others. People of all ages appreciate a

call to see how they are. You may have

family and grand children and however

busy they are, you can be sure that they

will continue to appreciate you taking an

interest in their lives.

When family or friends have difficulties

you may think that you cannot help them

because of your physical condition but a

sympathetic ear is very often all that

people need to get them through.

Organisations like Age UK may be able to

put you in touch with other people

nearby who are housebound like you with

a view to setting up friendly calls. Also

many clubs and societies for older people

have transport that they can arrange for

you. It is never too late to make new

friends.

Using the internet is a great way to keep

in touch with friends and family through

regular emails, and you can connect with

any of your previous interests or hobbies.

You can have your computer set up to

speak to relatives anywhere in the world

with a video link on your screen. This is

quick and easy to set up and as long as

you have an internet connection and a

webcam, it is free!

The Government has committed to

promoting, improving and extending

internet access for older people and with

the new Digital Inclusion Programme has

started providing resources to sheltered

housing schemes to achieve this

objective.

If you live in a sheltered housing scheme

express your interest in taking part. The

organisation Digital Unite has various

programmes for supporting ‘silver surfers’

and a network of tutors throughout the

country to help older people learn about

digital technology. For more information

go to www.digitalunite.com or telephone

0800 228 9272.

http://www.digitalunite.com/


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Meal Preparation

This is often a problem for someone who

is living alone. Possibly you haven’t been

used to doing the cooking or you find that

the effort required is too much. There are

short cuts that you can try. Many

supermarkets now have readymade

meals for one person that can be quickly

heated in the microwave or oven. Try not

to rely on them too much because they

may have high sodium levels and high

levels of fat. Several companies that

operate countrywide deliver home

cooked frozen food to your door and they

are very much geared to the older

market. You choose your meals from a

brochure, with special diets catered for,

and then order by telephone or the

internet. Your area is likely to have a

specified delivery day. You will need

freezer space to store the meals.

You may qualify for meals on wheels from

your local council, where hot meals can

be delivered daily but you are unlikely to

have a choice of menu.

Most people combine ready meals or

delivered meals with fresh fast food for

other meals (cereal, fruit, sandwiches,

cold meat, cheese, yoghurts etc).

Sometimes cooking becomes unsafe

either because you are physically frail and

unable to balance long enough with

heavy pans. Maybe visual impairment is

affecting your ability or your memory is

failing and you are unable to safely use

appliances. In these circumstances you

should ask for an assessment by the local

council, there may be simple aids that

could enable you to carry on with some

tasks in the kitchen and you could qualify

for help with meals on wheels or possibly

help with preparing a cooked meal.

Managing personal care

Personal care means help with tasks such

as washing and dressing, bathing,

showering or getting to and from the

toilet. If you are beginning to struggle

with managing any of these things it is a

good idea to get advice. Many people

struggle on and let things get worse

before seeking help, sometimes it is not

until they have had a fall that they take

action. Ask your local council for an

assessment by an Occupational Therapist.

They are professionally trained people

who specialise in helping people facing

everyday challenges and look at ways of

promoting independence in all aspects of

daily life. They may be able to offer

suggestions of alternative ways of doing

things, they may suggest you use a

particular aid or suggest installing a rail by

your shower, bath or toilet etc. Many of

the things they suggest can be provided

free of charge but if you need more


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expensive work done to your property

they can help with putting you in touch

with a Home Improvement Agency (HIA)

or help with applying for grants from your

local council.

The Occupational Therapist might suggest

a period of Intermediate Care to enable

you to get back to your former

independence. This will consist of a

period of rehabilitation in your home

perhaps with several visits a week where

rehab assistants work with you to

overcome your difficulties. It is funded by

the NHS for up to 6 weeks and is often

used to prevent an unnecessary

admission to hospital, perhaps when

someone has had a period of ill health.

There are various providers of personal

care if you need assistance to manage

either in the short or long term; private

domiciliary care agencies, voluntary

organisations and the local council adult

care departments. As mentioned

previously all providers of personal care

should be registered and will be

inspected to ensure that minimum

standards are met. Personal Care can

mean anything from just having

supervision or help with a bath or shower

once a week to having someone come

into your home several times a day or in

some cases people have 24 hour live-in

care.

Funding Personal Care

If you require help with your personal

care you may qualify for assistance from

the local authority. Ask your local council

Adult Care Department for a Care Needs

Assessment. As well as your needs being

assessed, you will require a financial

assessment and if your savings are below

£23,250 the local authority may be able

to help with the cost of your personal

care. Some local authorities will arrange

the care for you and will discuss any

charges with you but increasingly councils

are encouraged to use a method of direct

payments (sometimes called individual

budgets or personal budgets) whereby

you are allocated a sum of money to

purchase and choose services yourself.

If your savings exceed £23,250 the local

council should still provide you with

information and advice to enable you to

organise the help that you need.

Irrespective of your savings, if you need

assistance with your personal care you

are likely to qualify for Attendance

Allowance. This is a non means-tested,

non-taxable allowance. There are two

levels of benefit, the lower rate

(£58.70pw) for people who need care

during the day or night and the higher

rate (£87.65pw) for people who need

care during the day and night. Telephone


12

the Attendance Allowance helpline on

0800 731 0122 for an application.

For people who have very high care needs

and perhaps require carer assistance

several times a day, through the night, or

24 hours per day, the cost of care can be

very expensive. You may have considered

other options such as ‘housing with care’

or a residential care home but you remain

committed to staying put. Assuming that

you own your property, one way to

ensure that you have adequate funds to

continue paying for your care would be to

consider releasing equity in your home.

This requires very careful consideration

and you should seek professional advice

from a reputable person with experience

of this process. In the first instance you

should check with your local authority as

to what financial assistance might be

available. You might also read our Equity

Release factsheet that covers this subject.

Telecare

As mentioned previously there are

numerous aids and adaptations available

to help you to manage at home but

assistive technology is another area that

is of growing relevance to older people.

This equipment is usually referred to as

Telecare. Telecare enables you to call for

assistance day or night. Many people are

familiar with the now widely used

“careline” or “pendant alarm” systems

that allow people to call for help in the

event of a fall or other emergency, but

there is now an increasing range of

equipment, such as:

Equipment to remind people to take their medication

Flood detector for sink or bath

Carbon monoxide and natural gas detectors

Temperature extremes sensor

Falls sensors can be placed by bed or chair or where there is a risk of falls

Sensors to monitor normal daily activity and variations from the norm will prompt an alert

Sensors to alert a carer to a wet bed

Property exit monitor to detect if door has been left open or if someone leaves the house at an unusual time

There are many providers of community

alarms or carelines. Some are run by

local housing departments or charities

such as Age UK, others are provided by

commercial firms. The charges and

services may vary, so shop around to find

the one that best suits you.

To find out more about Telecare

equipment contact your local Adult Care

Department. In the near future it is


13

expected that greater use will be made of

‘Telehealth’ equipment. So you may find

that your doctor will provide equipment

to conduct simple tests and monitor your

health at home reducing the need for you

to attend clinics or hospital. Telecare can

provide an inexpensive solution to many

problems and can provide peace of mind

to the older person and their family. In

many instances the Telecare facility may

allow your family to have a closer insight

into your wellbeing and enable them to

improve contact with you.

Carer responsibilities

As our needs increase we can often come

to rely increasingly on others for help. It

is important that we take care of our

carers too and that they do not lose sight

of the importance of having some time

for themselves as well as other forms of

support in their vital role. A carer is

someone who gives regular unpaid help

to someone, for example their partner,

family member, friend or neighbour. In

most areas there are organisations that

are there to support carers. Carers UK for

example, has a wide range of services

that can be accessed including practical

and emotional support. Go to the

website www.carersuk.org to find your

nearest carer organisation or telephone

0808 808 7777. You can also ask your

local council Adult Care Department to

arrange a carer’s assessment; this may

give access to supports such as the carers

emergency scheme, direct payments and

carers grants.

Conclusion

While this leaflet does not pretend to

provide solutions to every problem it

does provide a starting point with ideas

and suggestions for helping you to remain

self-reliant and actively engaged in

finding the right solutions to the common

difficulties that arise in later life. Many of

these are manageable.

Frequently the challenges of older age

can be overcome or attenuated by a

combination of early planning, practical

help, awareness of services available and

the support of friends and family.

In many instances you may be able to

remain independent throughout older

age. But the overall message is that it is

important to plan well and act early.

http://www.carersuk.org/


14

About FirstStop Advice

FirstStop is a free information and advice

service designed to help older people

decide how best to meet their needs for

support, care and suitable housing. It is

provided jointly by a growing number of

national and local organisations and it is led

by the charity, Elderly Accommodation

Counsel (EAC).

Contact us

Visit us online: www.housingcare.org

Use our housing options self-help tool at

hoop.eac.org.uk

The information contained in this factsheet

is intended to be, and should be regarded

as, a brief summary and is based on our

understanding of present legislation,

regulations and guidance. No responsibility

can be accepted for action based on this

information.

April 2019

http://www.housingcare.org/

hoop.eac.org.uk

Documents

Living longer - remaining independent · Living longer - remaining independent April 2019 The artwork on the front of this factsheet was done by an older artist for EAC's over 60s